The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has been asked to rehear its decision last month to authorize construction in West Virginia of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. In a motion filed with the agency on July 24 by the Southern Environmental
Authority for MVP to Cross Jefferson National Forest Vacated
The decision of the U.S. Forest Service to permit the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross the Jefferson National Forest was vacated July 27 by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The challenge to that decision had been brought by Sierra
Legislators Urge Gov. Northam to Revoke Certifications for ACP and MVP
A dozen members of the Virginia House of Delegates and two state Senators wrote Governor Northam on July 26 urging him “to direct the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to revoke and decertify the 401 certifications for both upland
Study Released About Best Practices for Steep Slope Pipeline Construction
A new collaborative study intended to provide guidance “in setting the highest practicable standards” for constructing natural gas pipelines through steep slopes was released earlier this month. The study, Improving Steep-Slope Pipeline Construction to Reduce Impacts to Natural Resources, was
Virginia Approval of ACP Challenged in Federal Court
The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond has been asked to stay the pending finalization of Commonwealth of Virginia’s water quality certification for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). The Motion for a Stay was filed on Monday, July
Appointment of a New FERC Commissioner Up in the Air
The resignation of Robert Powelson as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) takes effect August 4 (see article in ABRA Update of June 29). To date, there has been no announcement from the White House regarding the
Relish a Day Hike or Overnight Stay in an Old-Growth Forest in Bath County
The biggest regional land-clearing project since the federal highway program of the 1960s is now underway in Virginia. In order to build the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines, Dominion Energy and EQT are targeting vulnerable communities, destroying precious ecosystems,
Court of Appeals Asked to Halt ACP Construction
A motion was filed July 5 with the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, asking that construction activity on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) be halted until the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) complies with the Court’s May 15 order
Virginia DEQ Initiatives Enforcement Action Against the MVP
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued on July 10 a Notice of Violation (NOV) against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In announcing the Notice, DEQ said: The alleged violations include failure to take corrective actions within required timeframes, failure
Virginia Supreme Court Again Upholds State Pipeline Surveying Law
Another challenge to Virginia’s statute authorizing natural gas pipeline companies survey a landowner’s property without that owner’s permission was rebuffed again last week. The 6-1 decision handed down on July 5 arose in the case of a Nelson County, VA